- Amazon Games Montreal brings Alexandre Parizeau onboard
- Parizeau is a former Ubisoft top man in Toronto
- Amazon Games Montreal is working on a yet undisclosed game studio
As Amazon Games opens new locations and announces new projects, Ubisoft's Alexandre Parizeau has joined the company's Montreal office.
Alexandre Parizeau Joins to Guide Amazon Games Montreal's Future
Amazon Games Montreal continues to expand its clout with the addition of former Ubisoft Toronto managing director Alexandre Parizeau. The man behind blockbusters such as Rainbow Six Vegas and Splinter Cell will be helping Amazon Montreal's efforts in the game development segment, and will also assist with the studio's first foray in video gaming.
Little is known about Amazon's upcoming title, other than the fact that it would be a brand new franchise that is rated AAA. Commenting on the move, Amazon Games vice president Christoph Hartmann said that Parizeau was a vital part of the company's efforts to set up its studio and give it a flying start.
“He managed the development teams behind major franchises during his time at Ubisoft Montreal and Toronto, and he instantly clicked with our team’s vision and creative leads, some of which he worked with previously at Ubisoft,” Hartmann added in praise of Parizeau.
Amazon's executive feels confident that Parizeau will be able to continue building a strong base of operation for the company in Toronto that will spearhead the company's efforts in video gaming.
Amazon Poaching Top Talent from Ubisoft
Since Amazon opened its studio in Montreal in March, a lot of talent has come from Ubisoft. This is not exactly surprising as the video gaming hub has created and stimulated a lot of the local game development community.
As part of the Amazon team, Parizeau will work with Xavier Marquis as creative director, Alexandre Remy as head of product, and other people who played a crucial role in the forming of the Rainbow Six Siege franchise, which is one of the most distinct competitive games today.
Parizeau was happy to be joining Amazon Studios in Toronto and had this to add: “I feel very fortunate to join this great group of people, to have the privilege to start a new studio, and to build and foster the team that will continue along this journey.”
Amazon Games Montreal is the fourth pivot of Amazon's broader forays into video gaming. With operations out of Seattle, Orange County, and San Diego, the company is quickly trying to gain ground in this vertical. The studio has an upcoming game, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game New World which is arriving on September 28.
